Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-08-24
MOCK JUSTICE.
Disgracefui Proceedings in an Iowa
Tertiary without the Prisoner See

Disxracefui Proceedings in an Iowa
Ceurt---CrueI Sentence to the Peni-
Tertiary without the Prisoner See
ing the Jury.
Startling developments come to light
in Maquokets. a few miles back of
Davenport. and if the story of devilish
plot which has been partially carried into
execution by the aid of the court were
written BY Victor Hugo, it would be
quite as pathetic as Jean Vatican" or
Claude Geneux." A correspondent in
Jackson county. Iowa, where the dis
graceful farce is alleged to have occurred,
writes as follows:
A deep laid plot is being discovered
that was laid to ruin on honest hard
working young man of this town, Chester
Turney by name. He was inyeigled
through his enemies-enemles through
jealousy-to buy, at tritling cost. a
watch and chain of some stranger during
circus procession. The next day be
was arrested for having stolen goods in
his possession. aud not being able to pay
the ten dollars fine against him, was Sch
fenced to three days imprisonment in the
county jail. At the end of that time he
was released, but feeling deeply the dis
grace and that everybody believed him
guilty, and having no money or friends
and hearing that his mother was dead,
he fed TO the woods, not caring whether
he lived or died.
He lived five days without food, and
ON the sixth. rendered almost crazy with
hunger. he stole loaf of bread, etc. As
the nights were chilly. he stole buffalo
robe to protect him from the cold, and as
his sufTerings rendered him desperate he
stole some other small things, afraid to
ask for fear of betraying himself and
feeling that he had no friends. He finally
stole an old shot gun and some shot and
knives TO kill game and was detected.
His enemies were watching for him, and
organizing mob surrounded the wood,
hunted him down like a dog, shot him in
the leg and finally put a rope around his
neck and dragged him through the streets
preparatory to lynching him, which would
have been done twice had not two citi-
zens interfered and stopped the proceed
ings, pistol in hand.
lie was taken to jail had brief sham
trial, without appearing in court. and
sentenced in less than an hour to seven
teen and half years hard labor in the
penitentiary. Who ever in all our law
codrts heard of such an unjust. shameful
proceeding? Even had the lad been a
criminal of the deepest dye he should
have had fair trial. for that even Guit>
eau had But this boy, guilty of nothing
but petty larceny, and that of almost
worthless old things that in all did not
amount to $50, and under most extenu>
ating circumstances.
HIS poor mother all this time lay sick
and helpless in another town, where a
surgical operation had been performed
upon her knee. When she returned tC
her home she found her son suffering IN
der this terrible sentence. Crippled as
she was, she went on crutches to some OF
the citizens to see if something could moi
be done for her boy-her only son and
support in her old age, and she u widow,
She had no money, and consequently
little influence to bring to bear against
the court and lawyers that would natur>
ally oppose her.
She went her weary rounds, till somt
one suggested that perhaps Gov. Larra>
bee would pardon her son out of prison
She finally succeeded in reaching DeS
Moines, and had an interview with him
He listened kindly to her story. but adj
vised her to try and get new trial, a:
that would vindicate her sons honor bet
ter than pardon. So she has been from
house to house in Des Moines and is still
going. Some kind hearts have listened
and been prompted to give her money t.
succeed in raising fund necessary for
new trial, which will be fully S75.